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Notes
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In 1815, Napoleon surrendered to Captain Frederick Maitland of the 'Bellerophon' which brought him to England and he was detained on board in Plymouth Sound during July while his fate was decided. He usually appeared at about 6pm for the benefit of the numerous boats loaded with sightseers, which enabled Eastlake to make rapid sketches from life for the portrait. Behind Napoleon to the right, head turned away to the left and partly bald, stands Général Comte Bertrand. Behind him to the left is the head and shoulders, full face, of Captain Piontowski wearing the uniform of the Polish Guard, formerly part of Napoleon's personal troops. He subsequently wished to remain one of Napoleon's body servants but this was refused and he was landed at Plymouth.
The painting was enormously popular when it was exhibited in 1815, and although based on the eyewitness account of Eastlake when a young man, the end result is heavily contrived. Several certificates were issued to testify to the true resemblance of the painting to Napoleon from which Charles Turner created a well-known mezzotint from another version of the painting. The exhibition and the print both made Eastlake's name and earned him a considerable sum.
Title
Napoleon Bonaparte on Board the 'Bellerophon' in Plymouth Sound
Date
1815
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 259.1 x W 179 cm
Accession number
BHC2876
Work type
Painting
National Maritime Museum
Romney Road, Greenwich, London, Greater London SE10 9NF England
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